NY Audio Show 2018: The Rooms (Part 1)

I’m going to present my NY Audio Show coverage in the order I moved around the show—namely, I started at the top, Floor 9, and worked my way down. Enjoy!

NY Audio dealer Sound By Singer has been around (seemingly) forever and they put together a lovely-sounding simple-ish system. I’m a fan of Spendor speakers and their D9 Loudspeakers did not disappoint while a Chord Dave DAC ($12,488), Blue MKII CD Transport ($11,788), standing on a Chord stand ($1,995) delivered the bits. That’s The Memory Player D64-8 Transport/server ($15,950) in the back which stores the bits.

That’s a Dupuy Acoustique Phase Restoration Panel (PRAP). From the literature, “The most apparent sonic contribution of the PRAP in a stereo system is the localization of every voice and instrument on the sound stage.” Since there was no A/B, that PRAP is BIG, I cannot comment other to point out that PRAP is BIG.

Value Electronics of Scarsdale, NY was playing a simple system consisting of the Marantz PM-KI RUBY Reference Integrated Amplifier ($3,999) driving a pair of Definitive Technology Demand Series D11 High-Performance Bookshelf Speakers ($999/pair) with a Marantz SA-KI Ruby Signature Super Audio CD Player with DAC ($3,999) spinning the discs.

I always enjoy my time in a Technics room because they typically sound good and I’m a fan of their aesthetic. What’s new? That last pic is a nudie shot of the new Technics OTTAVA S SC-C50 Premium Wireless Speaker System ($). They can be paired for stereo sound and are packed with DSP, “4 JENO Engines”, while offering Bluetooth, Google Chromecast, AUX IN x1 (3.5 mm) (1/8 inch), Optical Digital x1 (for your TV), USB-A x1, and an Ethernet input.

Vinnie Rossi’s room was one of my favorites because Vinnie plays real, interesting, music and he knows how to set up a room so it sounds better than good. The Vinnie Rossi L2 Signature Preamplifier ($14,995, DAC Module adds $3,495, Phonostage adds $3,495), L2 Monoblock Amplifiers ($14,995/pair) were handling the Harbeth Monitor 40.2 “40th Anniversary” speakers ($17,990/pair) with ease. Here’s one record Vinnie played while I was in-room:

I got to hear the smaller Sonner Audio Legato Unum speakers ($4,750/pair) at the Capital Audiofest so I was pleased they were playing the larger Legato Semis floorstanders ($6,500/pair) in NY. A lovely Luxman L-550AXII (S5,500) took care of power while the Abbingdon Music Research DP-777SE DAC ($5,000) delivered the tunes. This system had a nice, big, spatial ease coupled with delicacy and nuance. Nice.

In another room hosted by Value Electronics, Dynaudio was pumping out some bodacious tunes through a pair of their Contour 60 loudspeakers ($10,000/pair). Dynaudio’s Mike Manousselis is a walking encyclopedia of great music so this is another room I always enjoy visiting. A pair of Octave MRE 220 monoblocks (€ 18.499) took care of driving (and looking cool) and received its marching orders from Octave’s HP 500 SE Preamplifier (€7.500).